FOUR senior East Lothian Council posts, each with a £94,000-a-year salary, have been advertised.
The heads of service roles are part of a restructuring of the council’s Central Management Team (CMT), which the local authority says will save £28,000 annually.
Chief executive Monica Patterson had two depute chief executives, while a director of health and social care partnership oversaw six heads of service and four chief operating officers.
However, the chief operating officers’ roles have been removed and a new executive director post created.
The new CMT line-up comprises the chief executive, four executive directors – including the director of the health and social care partnership – and nine heads of service.
Heads of service posts for education, corporate support, housing, and development are being advertised via recruitment specialist Solace, with a salary of £93,932 for a 37-hour week.
The restructure was criticised by SNP councillors, who refused to support it when it was put before council for approval behind closed doors in November.
Councillor Stuart Currie, SNP group leader, questioned the decision to create an additional executive “£100,000-plus post”, saying: “We don’t need any more chiefs right now, what is needed is support for workers at the coal face.”
Ms Patterson, chief executive, said at the time: “Our priority is to ensure that East Lothian Council continues to have a senior leadership team with the talent, vision and capacity to think and act strategically, and engage with our communities and partners, to deliver the very best for East Lothian in dynamic and challenging circumstances.
"It remains a very difficult financial environment, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, which means we must maintain the pace of transformation in continuing to deliver high-quality and efficient services.”
A council spokesperson added: “Chief officer salaries are published publicly every year in the council’s annual accounts.
"The salary for the executive director posts this year is the same as the depute chief executive posts being replaced – £107,417. Agreement on annual pay awards is made at a national level.”
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